Kūmara Ginger Crunch Cheesecake
Introduction
Celebrate matariki | for your festive table
This is what I consider the cream of the crop when it comes to dessert. Sweet orange kūmara meets cream cheese, orange zest, crushed Gingernuts and golden syrup in this wonderful mash- up of a classic cheesecake and a Gingernut cream log. (Remember those?! Bring back the 90s!) Kūmara cheesecake with a ginger-crunch twist? Pure nostalgia in every bite. Move over pumpkin pie: kūmara pie is in the whare.
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
For the crust
500g (2 packets / 1 lb 1 oz) Gingernut biscuits
200g (7 oz) butter, melted
For the filling
2 medium orange kūmara (450g / 1 lb), to yield 2 cups cooked, mashed kūmara
250g (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup plain Greek yoghurt
¼ cup icing (confectioner’s) sugar
1 Tbsp orange zest
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
For the ginger caramel
75g (2½ oz)butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp golden syrup
½ cup cream
½ tsp salt
1–2 tsp ground ginger
Method
1 Peel and cube the kūmara and boil in a saucepan with water until tender. Drain off the water, mash with a masher, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. It’s important that the kūmara is not hot when making the cheesecake.
2 Prepare a 22–24cm (about 9”) springform pan by greasing the sides and lining the base with non- stick baking (parchment) paper.
3 To make the crust, working a third at a time, crush the Gingernut biscuits until they resemble fine crumbs, in a food processor, blender or Nutribullet.
4 Put crushed Gingernuts into a bowl, pour over the melted butter, and mix until combined.
5 Use your fingers to press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the base and sides of the prepared pan, then smooth and compact it with the back of a spoon.
6 In a large mixing bowl, using an electric beater, beat together all the filling ingredients until combined and smooth. Spread the filling evenly into the crumb base.
To make the ginger caramel, place all the ingredients into a small saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes until thick and syrupy.
7 Pour the ginger caramel over the filling while still warm, then cover with cling film or tinfoil and refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours, or until ready to serve. You can refrigerate the cheesecake for up to three days.
8 When the cheesecake is ready to serve, carefully remove it from the baking tin and gently transfer to a serving plate. Cut into slices and serve immediately with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or yoghurt, if desired.
Cook’s note
If your people aren’t fans of ginger (like my kids!) then you can swap out the Gingernuts for other biscuits like plain wine, malt or caramel biscuits. Omit the ginger in the caramel, and you’ll have a kūmara butterscotch cheesecake instead.
Recipe from KAI FEAST by Christall Lowe, published by Bateman Books RRP $59.99